This unique wordless picture book celebrates the life-cycle of a paper bag integrated with the life-cycle of a family. While the story conveyed is poignant and important, the illustrations that convey the story are what stand out. The pen and ink drawings are richly composed, textured and detailed, conveying the environmental message, along with the warmth and emotion of family. The use of brown spot color focuses on the paper bag, while a red heart focuses on the growth of the family.
The book immediately opens with a tree in a forest, which the following pages recount its harvest, manufacturing into a brown paper bag, and then utilized to contain the purchase of a flashlight by a little boy and his father. The title page is next, and so starts the story. The paper bag is used by the boy's father to pack his lunch, on which he places a red heart. The boy has a nightmare, so the father uses the bag to shade the flashlight to light his room so he can sleep. We see the boy grow, as the bag is used in his many life experiences. The father sends his son off to college, with bag in hand. The young man brings the bag and uses it to hold his sheets of guitar music, and sometimes to hold a snack. He meets a girl, with whom he falls in love with. A second red heart is added to the bag, as he uses the bag to hold an engagement ring. As he marries, the bag is used for petals of flowers, showered by a flower girl. As life continues, a third heart is added to the bag as a baby boy enters their life. When grandpa comes to live with them, the bag is utilized to hold snacks, valentines, and follows them on their adventures. A strong bond grows between grandson and grandpa, and the grandson adds a fourth heart to the bag. Suddenly, grandpa's chair is empty. The bag is used to hold pictures and mementoes of grandpa. In the final scene, the grandson is planting a new tree, with its' roots protected by the paper bag as it is placed in the ground.
The message is clear. Excellent to use as an introduction to Earth Day, or a unit on the environment and recycling. Could also be used as a warm look at family, and how a family deals with the loss of a loved one. The diversity label comes from the multi-racial family in the story.
Mark's Book Picks Score: 5
Reading Level: 1• Interest Level: K-3 • AR Points: NA • Lexile Level: NA • Publisher: Scholastic • Pages: 48 • Copyright: 2020 • ISBN: 978-1-338-35997-8 • Available in Perma-Bound Binding
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